TUNE • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Tune

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/tun/ Listen

noun

Tune n.

1.

A sound; a note; a tone. "The tune of your voices."

2.

(Mus.)

(a)

A rhythmical, melodious, symmetrical series of tones for one voice or instrument, or for any number of voices or instruments in unison, or two or more such series forming parts in harmony; a melody; an air; as, a merry tune; a mournful tune; a slow tune; a psalm tune. See Air.

(b)

The state of giving the proper sound or sounds; just intonation; harmonious accordance; pitch of the voice or an instrument; adjustment of the parts of an instrument so as to harmonize with itself or with others; as, the piano, or the organ, is not in tune. "Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh."

3.

Order; harmony; concord; fit disposition, temper, or humor; right mood. "A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he... is dragged unwillingly to (his task)."

verb

Tune v. t. (past & past part. tuned; pres. part. tuning)

1.

To put into a state adapted to produce the proper sounds; to harmonize, to cause to be in tune; to correct the tone of; as, to tune a piano or a violin. " Tune your harps."

2.

To give tone to; to attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious. "For now to sorrow must I tune my song."

3.

To sing with melody or harmony. "Fountains, and ye, that warble, as ye flow, Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise."

4.

To put into a proper state or disposition.

Tune v. i.

1.

To form one sound to another; to form accordant musical sounds. "Whilst tuning to the water's fall, The small birds sang to her."

2.

To utter inarticulate harmony with the voice; to sing without pronouncing words; to hum. (R.)

See images of 'Tune'

Etymology of 'Tune'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Tune" Quotes from Famous Books

... which he would not otherwise have felt. He recognized a merit in this forbearance of his, and once, towards the end of his work, when he was taking a little rest, he said: "Reporters get as much abuse as plumbers; but if people only knew what we kept back, perhaps they would sing a different tune. Of course, it's a temptation to describe his daughter, poor old thing, and give the interview in full, but I don't quite like to. I've got to cut it down to the fact that she evidently hadn't the least idea of the defalcation, or why he was on the way to Canada. Might work ...

— The Quality of Mercy • W. D. Howells

... shoes gave a skip, and set her on her feet so suddenly that it scared all the naughtiness out of her. She stood looking at these curious shoes; and the bright buttons on them seemed to wink at her like eyes, while the heels tapped on the floor a sort of tune. Before she dared to stir, her mother called ...

— The Louisa Alcott Reader - A Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of School • Louisa M. Alcott

... thin little tune began to wander from the black box, none other than "The Wearing of the Green." Inside the box was one of those little, old-fashioned Swiss music boxes, and May was ...

— Ruth Fielding At College - or The Missing Examination Papers • Alice B. Emerson

... himself into the work. The songs (mostly his own writing) were quite inoffensive, and very funny. I am very glad to be able to think that his influence on public taste is towards refinement and purity. I liked best "The Future Mrs. 'Awkins," with its taking tune, and "My Old Dutch," which revealed powers that, I should think, would come out grandly in Robsonian parts, such as "The Porter's Knot." "The Little Nipper" ...

— The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll • Stuart Dodgson Collingwood

... the mission on which the gunboat had been sent. He sat on Mrs Neverbend's left hand, and did seem in some respect to be the chief man on that occasion. However, he proposed Mrs Neverbend's health and the ladies, and the captain instantly called upon the band to play some favourite tune. After that there was no attempt at speaking. We sat with the officers some little time after dinner, and then went ashore. "Sir Ferdinando and I," said the captain, as we shook hands with him, "will do ourselves the honour of calling on you at ...

— The Fixed Period • Anthony Trollope

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